Christmas tree construction

ABSTRACT

A Christmas Tree construction to simulate live trees consists of a plurality of limbs each including a wire support and an accordion folded cloth net member threaded onto the wire adjacent in edge thereof and then spirally wound around the wire to produce a generally cylindrical limb. The limbs are fitted to a central member to form a conical artifical Christmas Tree.

United States Patent 91 Dalske et al.

1 51 Oct. 29, 1974 CHRISTMAS TREE CONSTRUCTION Inventors: Sylvester A. Dalske; Jewelle M.

Dalske, both of ll0-Caselli Cir. No. 1, Sacramento, Calif. 95823 Filed: Feb. 28, 1973 Appl. No.: 336,707

US. Cl 161/22, 161/24, D29/1 A Int. Cl A47g 33/06 Field of Search 161/24, 22; D29/1 A References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1962 Osswald et al. 161/24 3,059,366 10/1962 Kaflm et al. 161/12 3,234,073 2/1966 Raymond et al l6l/24 3,244,577 4/1966 Raymond 161/24 Primary Examiner-William E. Schulz Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Blair & Brown [5 7 ABSTRACT A Christmas Tree construction to simulate live trees consists of a plurality of limbs each including a wire support and an accordion folded cloth net member threaded onto the wire adjacent in edge thereof and then spirally wound around the wire to produce a gen erally cylindrical limb. The limbs are fitted to a central member to form a conical artifical Christmas Tree.

10 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures CHRISTMAS TREE CONSTRUCTION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to artifical Christmas Trees.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention a plurality of limbs are secured to a central member to produce a conical Christmas Tree. Each of the limbs includes a wire threaded through an accordion folded cloth net member which is then spirally wound around the wire to produce the limb. The central support maybe a simple vertical shaft or a conical body to receive the wires.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a Christmas Tree construction which is inexpensive to manufacture and which produces a beautiful Christmas Tree simulation of a natural tree.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in the light of the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged vertical cross-section taken along the line 2-2 of FIG. I, looking in the direction of the arrows with parts omitted for ease of illustration;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the limb wires;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the limb support wire in process of being loaded through the accordion folded net material;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of the loaded wire prior to rotating the net material to produce the generally cylindrical shape;

FIG. 6 is an end elevation of one of the limbs with the net spirally wound thereon;

FIG. 7 is a horizontal sectional view, taken along the line 7-7 of FIG. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary detailed view of the holder on the end of a limb wire;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 6;

FIG. 10 is a semi-sectional view of a modified form of the invention;

FIG. II is a vertical sectional view of still another modified form of the invention;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a cover for the structure illustrated in FIG. 11; and

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a modified form of cover illustrated in FIG. I2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures. the reference numeral 10 indicates generally a Christmas Tree constructed in accordance with the present invention.

The Tree 10 includes a base 11 having an upstanding generally cylindrical socket member 12 rigidly secured centrally of the upper side of the base 11. An elongate shaft 13 is supported in the socket l2 and extends perpendicularly upwardly from the base 11. A plurality of limb forming wire rods 14 are each provided with a complete loop I5 having a diameter such as to slidably engage the shaft 13. The limb forming rods 14 have opposed ends 16, 17 which are sharpened for reasons to be assigned. A friction nut unit 18 is engaged over the ends 16 and 17 for reasons to be assigned. The rods I4 become progressively shorter to produce a conical form at each successive higher point on the shaft 13.

A strip of nylon net cloth material 19 is folded at 20 into an accordion form aS can be clearly seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. One end of the rod 14 is passed centrally through the accordion folded material 19 adjacent one end thereof as can be seen in FIG. 4. After the netting I9 is completely installed on the rod 14 as seen in FIG. 5 the friction nut 18 is pressed onto the end 17 of the rod or the end 16 as the case may be, so as to secure the netting l9 thereon. The netting 19 is then grasped at each end and rotated as suggested in FIG. 6 until a generally cylindrical spiral net limb 21 is produced. The opposite end of the rod 14 is similarly decorated and the loop 15 is engaged over the shaft 13 and slid downwardly thereon until it is in contact with the socket member 12. At least two more decorated rods 14 of the same length are pressed downwardly in radially spaced positions to the same general level as the first rod 14.

Additional rods successively shorter lengths are grouped in units of three spaced above the first rod a distance such as to permit the decorative limbs 21 to touch. A decorative top piece 22 may have a special form if desired.

In FIG. 10 a modified form of the invention is illustrated wherein a base 31 supports a conical foam plastic support 32 and a plurality of decorative limbs 33 are secured thereto. The limbs 33 are formed on straight wires 34 having securing friction nuts 35 on their outer ends. A spirally wound netting 19 is mounted on each of the wires 34 in the same manner that it was mounted on the wires 14 in the preferred form of the invention. The wires 34 are then forced into the support material 32 so as to completely cover the outside of the support material 32 to produce a decorative artifical Christmas Tree.

Another modified Christmas Tree is illustrated in FIG. 11 at 41 and includes a base 42 having a shaft 43 extending upwardly thereon. A foam plastic cylinder 44 encompasses the shaft 43 and is adapted to receive the wires 34 of the decorative limbs 33 illustrated in FIG. 10. A ball 45 on the upper end of the shaft 43 is also adapted to receive decorative limbs 33.

In FIG. 12 another modified form of the invention is illustrated wherein a plurality of plastic cylinders 44 may replace the plastic cylinder 44 of FIG. 11.

In FIG. 13 still another modified form of the invention is illustrated wherein a radially split plastic cylinder 44" is provided to replace the plastic cylinder 44 of FIG. 11 when desired.

Having thus described the preferred embodiments of the invention it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A decorative Christmas Tree comprising a generally horizontal base. a shaft extending upwardly from said base perpendicularly thereto, an elongate rod having a complete loop intermediate the opposite ends thereof engaged over said shaft spaced upwardly from said bases, an accordion folded net material threaded onto each end of said rod adjacent one edge of said net material, said net material being spirally wound around said rod to a generally cylindrical form, threading and piercing means and detachable means on the outer end of said rod for securing said net material on said rod.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said rods are mounted on said shaft in successively shorter lengths upwardly of said shaft.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for securing said netting on said rod comprises a friction nut pressed onto the outer end of said rod.

4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said rods are positioned at one level on said shaft with successive pluralities arranged in vertically spaced relation upwardly of said shaft.

5. A Christmas Tree comprising an upright foam plastic support, a plurality of rods inserted into the surface of said support, threading and piercing means, an accordion folded netting having one side edge thereof pierced by each of said rods with said netting wound about said rod to form a generally cylindrical limb, and means provided on the outer ends of said rods for detachably securing said netting thereon, and said last named means being selectively releasable and detachable.

6. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said support is conical in form.

7. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said support is cylindrical in form.

8. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said support includes a plurality of cylindrical members arranged in vertical alignment.

9. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said support comprises a pair of radially split halves secured together to form a cylinder.

10. In a decorative Christmas Tree, a base having an upstanding generally cylindrical socket member rigidly secured centrally on the upper side thereof, an elongate shaft supported in the socket member and extending perpendicularly upwardly from the base, a plurality of limb forming wire rods each provided with a complete loop having a diameter to slidably engage the shaft, said limb forming rods having opposed ends which are sharpened, a friction nut unit engaged over the ends of said rods. said rods becomeing shorter to produce a conical form at each higher point on the shaft, a strip of net material folded into an accordion form, one end of the rod being passed centrally through the accordion folded material adjacent one end thereof, and wherein after the netting is completely installed on the rod, the friction nut is pressed onto the end of the rod to secure the net thereon, and whereby the net is then grasped at each end and rotated until a generally cylindrical spiral net limb is produced, a loop being engaged over the shaft and slide downwardly thereon until it is in contact with the socket member. 

1. A decorative Christmas Tree comprising a generally horizontal base, a shaft extending upwardly from said base perpendicularly thereto, an elongate rod having a complete loop intermediate the opposite ends thereof engaged over said shaft spaced upwardly from said bases, an accordion folded net material threaded onto each end of said rod adjacent one edge of said net material, said net material being spirally wound around said rod to a generally cylindrical form, threading and piercing means and detachable means on the outer end of said rod for securing said net material on said rod.
 2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said rods are mounted on said shaft in successively shorter lengths upwardly of said shaft.
 3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means for securing said netting on said rod comprises a friction nut pressed onto the outer end of said rod.
 4. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said rods are positioned at one level on said shaft with successive pluralities arranged in vertically spaced relation upwardly of Said shaft.
 5. A Christmas Tree comprising an upright foam plastic support, a plurality of rods inserted into the surface of said support, threading and piercing means, an accordion folded netting having one side edge thereof pierced by each of said rods with said netting wound about said rod to form a generally cylindrical limb, and means provided on the outer ends of said rods for detachably securing said netting thereon, and said last named means being selectively releasable and detachable.
 6. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said support is conical in form.
 7. A device as claimed in claim 5 wherein said support is cylindrical in form.
 8. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said support includes a plurality of cylindrical members arranged in vertical alignment.
 9. A device as claimed in claim 7 wherein said support comprises a pair of radially split halves secured together to form a cylinder.
 10. In a decorative Christmas Tree, a base having an upstanding generally cylindrical socket member rigidly secured centrally on the upper side thereof, an elongate shaft supported in the socket member and extending perpendicularly upwardly from the base, a plurality of limb forming wire rods each provided with a complete loop having a diameter to slidably engage the shaft, said limb forming rods having opposed ends which are sharpened, a friction nut unit engaged over the ends of said rods, said rods becomeing shorter to produce a conical form at each higher point on the shaft, a strip of net material folded into an accordion form, one end of the rod being passed centrally through the accordion folded material adjacent one end thereof, and wherein after the netting is completely installed on the rod, the friction nut is pressed onto the end of the rod to secure the net thereon, and whereby the net is then grasped at each end and rotated until a generally cylindrical spiral net limb is produced, a loop being engaged over the shaft and slide downwardly thereon until it is in contact with the socket member. 